Al Capone was born January 17, 1899. Capone grew up in a rough neighborhood and was the member of two gangs, the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Theives Juniors. Capone dropped out of school at the age of fourteen. Between scams he held many different jobs. He eventually joined the gang Five Points. Capone worked at Harvard Inn where he earned the nickname "scarface." He got this name because he offended one of the patrons and got attacked by her brother, leaving scars on his face.
Capone's first arrest was for a disorderly conduct charge while he was working for Yale. He also killed two men while he was in New York. No one came forward to say that they had saw or heard something so Capone was never tried for the murders. In 1919, Capone was sent to Chicago until things settled down for him. He then started to work for John Torrio, one of Yale's old mentors. Before too long Capone was helping Torrio run his bootlegging business, and soon after that Capone was ranked Torrio's number two man. Torrio was shot by a gang member and left Chicago, Capone inherited the "outfit" and became boss.
The men liked and trusted Capone, they started calling him "The Big Fellow." He showed them that he was more organized than Torrio had been. Capone controlled speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling houses, brothels, horse and racetracks, nightclubs, distillers, and breweries. He had an income of $100,000,000 a year. Any attempt to kill Capone had not turned out successfully. He had a big spy network in Chicago, from newspaper boys to policemen. Any plots that were going around were discovered quickly. Capone was very good at isolating and killing his enemies.
Capone's typical murders consisted of his men renting an apartment across the street from the victim’s residence and gunning him down when he stepped outside. His operations were quick and Capone always had an alibi. Capone’s biggest killing was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. It happened on February 14, 1929, four of Capone’s men entered into a garage. The building was the main liquor headquarters of the bootleggers. Two of Capone’s men were dressed as police men, the men in the garage thought it was a police raid and put their hands up against the wall. Capone’s men fired more than 150 bullets into the victims. As usual Capone had an alibi and could not be connected to the murders.
In May 1932, Capone was sent to Atlanta. This was the toughest federal prison; he would spend his eleven-year sentence here. In the prison Capone took control, he gained special privileges from the authorities such as furnishing his prison cell with a mirror, typewriter, and rugs. The word had spread that Capone was taking over in Atlanta, so they moved him to Alcatraz. Here the security was so tight that he had no knowledge of the outside world. He was unable to control anything or anyone.
Capone had to change his life around after his prison sentence. His health was so bad that he could not run his outfit anymore. He spent the rest of his life in Palm Island; his life was relaxed and quiet. Capone died due to cardiac arrest. He was the first to be buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Capone's first arrest was for a disorderly conduct charge while he was working for Yale. He also killed two men while he was in New York. No one came forward to say that they had saw or heard something so Capone was never tried for the murders. In 1919, Capone was sent to Chicago until things settled down for him. He then started to work for John Torrio, one of Yale's old mentors. Before too long Capone was helping Torrio run his bootlegging business, and soon after that Capone was ranked Torrio's number two man. Torrio was shot by a gang member and left Chicago, Capone inherited the "outfit" and became boss.
The men liked and trusted Capone, they started calling him "The Big Fellow." He showed them that he was more organized than Torrio had been. Capone controlled speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling houses, brothels, horse and racetracks, nightclubs, distillers, and breweries. He had an income of $100,000,000 a year. Any attempt to kill Capone had not turned out successfully. He had a big spy network in Chicago, from newspaper boys to policemen. Any plots that were going around were discovered quickly. Capone was very good at isolating and killing his enemies.
Capone's typical murders consisted of his men renting an apartment across the street from the victim’s residence and gunning him down when he stepped outside. His operations were quick and Capone always had an alibi. Capone’s biggest killing was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. It happened on February 14, 1929, four of Capone’s men entered into a garage. The building was the main liquor headquarters of the bootleggers. Two of Capone’s men were dressed as police men, the men in the garage thought it was a police raid and put their hands up against the wall. Capone’s men fired more than 150 bullets into the victims. As usual Capone had an alibi and could not be connected to the murders.
In May 1932, Capone was sent to Atlanta. This was the toughest federal prison; he would spend his eleven-year sentence here. In the prison Capone took control, he gained special privileges from the authorities such as furnishing his prison cell with a mirror, typewriter, and rugs. The word had spread that Capone was taking over in Atlanta, so they moved him to Alcatraz. Here the security was so tight that he had no knowledge of the outside world. He was unable to control anything or anyone.
Capone had to change his life around after his prison sentence. His health was so bad that he could not run his outfit anymore. He spent the rest of his life in Palm Island; his life was relaxed and quiet. Capone died due to cardiac arrest. He was the first to be buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Alcatraz Prison
Alcatraz Jail Cells